1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electronic devices such as computers and, in a preferred embodiment thereof, more particularly relates to access door structures installed on computer housings.
2. Description of Related Art
The housings of electronic devices such as computers are often formed of a molded plastic material and provided with exterior openings to afford user access to devices within the housing. An example of such a housing opening is a tower type computer drive bay opening extending through an outer front bezel portion of the computer housing structure. Housing openings of this sort are typically provided with an access door structure, also commonly of a molded plastic material, to selectively block and expose the housing opening. A common type of access door is one that is rotatable secured to the housing bezel, by a hinge structure, for pivotal movement relative thereto between (1) a closed position, in which the door extends across and covers the housing opening, and (2) an outwardly pivoted open limit position in which the opening is uncovered and the door is precluded from further opening movement by the abutment of an inner edge portion thereof with a facing portion of the bezel.
Hinged molded plastic access doors of this type are typically subject to several well known problems, limitations and disadvantages. For example, many of the access doors have exposed hinge structures which are subject to damage and tend to be unsightly. Other previously utilized access doors cannot be outwardly pivoted past about ninety degrees from their closed positions, thereby often hindering access to their associated bezel opening.
Yet another problem commonly associated with previously utilized hinged access doors of this sort is that if they are forcibly pivoted outwardly past their open limit position, breakage occurs in the door and/or the associated bezel structure portion requiring that one or both be replaced. In a previously proposed solution to this over-pivot breakage problem a computer housing access door was provided with a pair of outwardly projecting hinge arms having outer ends that rotatably engage hinge pin structures on the housing bezel structure.
Each hinge arm was formed from two releasably telescoped longitudinal sections which, when the door was pivoted outwardly past its open limit position, were designed to longitudinally separate from one another to permit the door and the inner hinge arm sections to break away from the ouster hinge arm sections, without damage thereto, in a manner permitting the undamaged door to be replaced on the bezel by re-telescoping the inner and outer hinge arm sections. This design, however, is relatively complex and expensive, and does not provide consistent damage-free break-away action for the access door.
As can readily be seen from the foregoing, a need exists for a pivotally supported computer housing opening access door which has a concealed hinge structure, has a total closed-to-fully open pivotal travel range of more than ninety degrees, and has damage free break-away and replacement capabilities.